Torch



1934- J H. HORSLEY T-ORCH Filed June 8 1955 K 15 v J 12 17 Z3 i0 Patented Dec. 4, 1934 UNlTED STATES TORCH James H. Horsley, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Shanklin Manufacturing 00., Springfield, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 8, 1933, Serial No. 674,788

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in kerosene torches, more particularly to torches of the type used for the marking of road obstructions, excavations, and the like. Because of the rough usage to which torches of the type just referred to are subjected and exposed, they must be of very sturdy construction. Furthermore, since they are used outdoors in all kinds of weather, it is important that the burners be of such character as to protect the flame against extinguishment by wind, rain and falling snow.

A general object of the present invention is the provision of a torch and burner construction which is of very simple character and which can be made very strong, though at very low cost, and which will very effectively safeguard the flame against extinguishment, and afford the requisite illumination for the purposes contemplated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a burner of a construction which, while giving the wick and flame the requisite shielding and protection, will allow at all times a suitable supply of air to the wick to maintain combustion.

Yet another object is the provision of a torch construction in which the burner is readily demountable for purpose of filling the fuel receptacle, and which is such as to permit adjustment of the wick with facility.

Still another objectis the provision of an improved closure securing device particularly adapted to torches of the character above indicated, which facilitates the mounting and dismounting of the burner from the torch body or fuel receptacle and which is adapted to hold the burner securely in proper position and provide an effective closure for the fuel receptacle.

Other and further objects of the invention will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the invention or its employment in use.-

For the purpose of imparting an understanding of the invention, I show in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and hereinafter describe, certain structural embodiments of it. It is to be understood, however, that these are presented merely for purpose of illustration, as the invention may be embodied in 5.0 other forms differing in various particulars from those herein illustrated and described.

In said drawing,

Fig. 1 is apart sectional elevation of a torch with the burner in place, same serving to illustrate features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the burner;

Fig. 3 is a top view of same;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the burner;

Fig. 5 is a top View of the torch collar upon which the burner is mounted;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevational view of a slightly modified form of burner; and

Fig. '7 is a sectional elevation on line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

I-Ieretofore various forms of torches or burners, intended primarily for the uses above indicated, have been provided with various types of hoods or shields for the wick, such hoods or shields being designed to protect the flame against extinguishment by wind and rain. In many instances these have been found objectionable and insuiiicient because of the readiness with which they become fouled and incrusted with oil-soaked dust, soot and carbon, resulting in the smothering of the flame or the weakening of combustion by diminution of the oxygen supply. Most of these prior devices have been designed with the idea of rather closely confining the wick.

A burner of the type contemplated by the present invention includes a wick shield so formed and arranged as to permit very free and liberal access of air to the wick, yet at the same time afford the latter adequate protection against wind and rain. This is accomplished by providing liberal sheltered combustion spaces at different sides of the wick, which spaces are effectively bafiied, in part by the shield and in part by the wick itself, and together with the wick are sheltered by the shield against falling rain. By virtue of the arrangement, although the location of the flame may be shifted to one side or the other of the wick, it is effectively protected in the shifted location and is supplied-with adequate air for the support of combustion. The shield affords a top opening for the egress of flame from the wick and combustion space and for the accommodation of upward flow of air and combustion gases from the wick. The invention also provides an improved arrangement for demountably securing the burner and closure upon the torch body. For this purpose the mounting member, which constitutes a part of the burner, is provided with a resiliently acting latch arranged for cooperation with flanges or inclines on the collar or neck of the torch body, after the fashion of a bayonet-slot arrangement, whereby the burner may be connected to, or disconnected from, the torch body by limited rotary movement, the cooperation of the parts being such that, when in mounted position, the burner is held closely to the supporting neck to form an effective closure for the fuel receptacle.

A more detailed understanding of the inven tion may be had by reference to the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawing, which will now be described.

The reference numeral 10 designates the torch body, which affords a fuel receptacle. At its top it is provided with an opening 11, about which is secured a burner mounting 12 in the form of a collar. At its upper end collar 12 has an inwardly turned flange 12 which is notched, as at 12, to form one element of a bayonet-slot arrangement ,for demountably securing the burner in place. Near its lower end the collar 12 is provided with an outwardly struck bead 12 which overlies and rests upouthecentrally apertured bail ring 13, the lower end of the collar projecting through the aperture 11 and being turned outwardly against the under surface of the encompassing proportion of the body member 10, thereby securing the collar and bail ring to the latter. The bail ring has upwardly extending ears on which the bail 14; is pivoted.

The burner includes a mounting member .15 adapted for rotatable fit uppn the collar 12, same being formed as a skirt depending from a centrally apertured disk 16 adapted to rest up6n the inwardly ,turned flange 12 of the collar} The burner includes also a wick holder comprising a short tube 17 and the portions 16 of the disk 16 which are turned upwardly about the central aperture of that disk. At the upper end'of the tube 1'7 is an outwardly turned flange 17 secured by spot the central aperture of the disk. Portions of the flange 1'7 are slotted out and turned downwardly to form spaced guides 18.

The burner includes also a shield which a centrally apertured bottom plate 19 that is spot welded to the upper side of disk 16, the aperture of said plate accommodating the upwardly turned portion 16* of the disk. From the plate 19, the shield 20 arches upwardly over the central aperture and; in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, affords a'flame opening 21 through its top portion. The portion 16 may be turned over on the upper surface of the plate 19 to afford an additional fastening for the shield. The tube 1'7 and: upwardly turned portion 16 accommodate and'hold the Wick 22, the lpwer portion of which extends into the body meinber l0 and into the liquid fuel which may be contained therein. The upper end of the wick projects above the plate 19 into the space which is covered by the shield.

The form of the shield and its dimensions, relative to the wick, are such that it forms a tunnel-like chamber extending for a considerable distance from the wick to the respective ends of the shield, the projecting end of the wick occupying a substantial proportion of the width of this tunnel-like chamber. For example, a shield having a length three times the diameter of the wick will afford, between the respective ends of the shield and the proximate sides of the wick, sheltered combustion spaces as wide as the wick. The tunnel-like combustion chamber preferably'is somewhat wider at the bottom than it is at the top, and it is open at both ends, affording free access of air to the wick. The wick preferably is of braided material, or provided with a braided sheath, so that the projecting upper end portion will retain its approximately cylindrical form and suitable compactness. The

welding to the under side of the disk 16; thus securing the tube 17 in axial alignment with wick may be adjusted in the wick holder by grasping it below the tube 1'7 and moving it longitudinally.

The shield is made of metal having the proper strength and stiffness to retain its shape under rough usage. The height of the tunnel-like chamber is such that the flame from the wick will impinge the upper part of the shield quite extensively and strongly.

Consequently, when the torch is burning in still air, flame will issue through. the top "opening 21 in amount sufficient to provide the desired illumination, although the zone of initial luminous combustion is well within the tunnellike chamber. When burning strongiy in stillfiair, portions of the flame also may issue from the chamber at the opposite ends of the shield. Because of the strong impingement of the flame, the upper portion of the shield is kept quite hot, and aids in keeping the combustible gases, which are evolved from the fuel, at a temperature conducive to their quick ignition and complete combustion.

When the torch is burning in a strong wind, the shield and wick in conjunction form a very effective baffling for protecting the flame against being blown out. For cxample if the direction of the wind is longitudinally of the shield, the

latter, in conjunction with the wick, is effective tion chamber; and although the flame may be displaced from the windward side of the Wick, the propagation of combustion and the burning of the flame continues at the leeward side of the wick in a relatively sheltered situation, the flame, for the most part; issuing from the shield at the leeward end thereof. When the torch is burning in a wind which is blowing strongly in a direction transversely of the shield, the wick and combustion zone are efiectively sheltered from it by the shield.

Thus it will be observed that the construction provides an arrangement wherein a very liberal supply of air is at all times available to the wick and combustion zone, as the end openings of the shield are so extensive as not to become clogged by accumulations of dust or soot; and at the same time the wick and combustion zone are effectively sheltered against strong or high velocity air movement and against falling rain. Soot is carried out through opening 21 in the rising current of combustion gases and air.

I have referred above to the cooperation of the wick with the shield in baffiing high velocity air flow. It is to be understood, however, that the same baffling effect will be accomplished if portions of the wick within the shield are encompassed by or held in a collar which extends for a suitable distance upwardly within the shield, such as the collar portion Z lshown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 also il'lustrates another modification of .the construction in that the shield 20' there coiled spring 26 which is mounted on the tube 17, the upper end of the spring contacting the under surface of the disk 25 and the lower end of the spring abutting the outwardly flanged lower end portion of the tube. The spring is thus held under compression, but accommodates a limited downward movement of the disk 25 on the tube 17. The radial length of the wings 25 is such that their passageinto the collar 12 is accommodated by the notched out portions 12 of collar flange 12 but such that they will be overlapped by the wider portions of that flange. As seen in Fig. 7, the wider portions of flange 12 progressing in the clockwise direction, first slope downwardly for a distance, as at A, and then level out, as at B, and terminate at 2. depending lug C. The inner portions of the flange are given this form, as indicated by the shading in Fig. 5. A slight depression D may be formed in the flange at the end of the incline A.

In attaching the burner to the torch body, the mounting member 15 is placed upon the collar 12 and the burner is pressed downward and given a clockwise rotary movement. The wings 25 will drop through the notched-out portions of the flange 12 and will engage under the higher ends of the projecting portions of the flange, and with a continuation of the rotary movement of the burner, will be cammed downwardly against the pressure of spring 26 by the incline portions A, and will finally come to rest against the stop lugs C, under the depressed portions B of the flange. This engagement of the parts will hold the burner securely in place on the collar, the slight depression D will act as a detent to oppose reverse rotary movement of the wings 25 and the pressure of the spring 26 will act to press the disk 16 tightly upon flange 12 The burner may be quickly demounted by rotating it in counterclockwise direction and withdrawing it upwardly from the collar when the wings 25 have ridden off the higher ends of the projecting portions of the flange 12 It is to be observed that the torch and burner construction above described is very simple and susceptible of manufacture at very low cost. Most of the parts may be formed from tubing or from sheet metal by simple stamping and forming operations. The burner is readily detached to permit filling of the fuel receptacle and adjustment of the wick, while the lower portion of the latter remains in the fuel receptacle. Since all of the burner parts remain attached to the wick, likelihood of loss of any part of the device is slight. The upper end of the wick is accessible for removal of foreign matter and for lighting without necessitating dismounting of any part of the burner.

What I claim is:

1. A torch burner comprising a wick holder adapted to retain a wick and having a top opening to permit the protrusion of the upper end of the wick, a shield attached to the wick holder and arching upwardly and over said top opening to shelter the protruding end of the wick, said shield forming a tunnel-like combustion chamber open at its opposite ends which are spaced a substantial distance from the proximate sides of the wick and which afford free access of air to the wick, the diameter of said top opening representing a substantial proportion of the width of the combustion chamber.

2. A torch burner as specified in claim 1 and wherein said shield is provided with a top flame opening above the wick.

3. A torch burner comprising a cap-like mounting member provided with a central wick aperture, a wick tube secured to said mounting member and extending downwardly from the top thereof in axial alignment with said wick aperture, a shield connected to said mounting member and extending upwardly therefrom and over said wick aperture, said shield forming a combustion chamber over said wick aperture and extending a substantial distance to opposite sides thereof and open at its ends, and a wick held in said tube with its upper end protruding into said combustion chamber and occupying a substantial proportion of the width thereof.

4. A torch burner comprising a wick holder adapted to retain a wick and affording a wick aperture permitting the protrusion of the end portion of the wick, and a shield associated with the wick holder extending upwardly at opposite sides of said wick aperture and over the same to shelter the protruding portion of the wick, said shield extending for a substantial distance beyond the area of the wick aperture to afford sheltered spaces for the wick flame between the protruding portion of the wick and the ends of the shield, the shield being open at its ends to permit access of air to said spaces and emission of flame therefrom.

5. A torch burner constructed as specified in claim 4 and wherein the shield affords also a top 3 opening for passage of flame.

6. A torch burner constructed as specified in claim 3 and wherein the shield is of form such that the combustion chamber formed thereby is wider at the bottom than at the top.

7. A torch burner comprising a wick holder adapted to retain a wick and affording a top opening permitting the protrusion of the end portion of the wick, and a shield associated with the wick holder and extending over the top opening to form a combustion chamber over the wick, said combustion chamber being closed at the sides by said shield but open at the ends thereof.

JAMES H. HORSLEY. 

